DeVilbiss High School - Pot O Gold Yearbook (Toledo, OH)

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way bridge removel. Though ice-cholcec. for four months every year and marred by thundering waterfalls and swirling rapids, the St. Lawrence River has tormented genera- tions of men with its potential greatness as an inland waterway. Finally, in our generation, this dream of centuries will be realized. The St. Lawrence was first seen by Iacgues Cartier on his second trip to the New World in l535. As he sailed into its wide mouth, he, too, had visions of its future. For he felt that here was the water route to the fabled Spice Islands of the Orient. But the govern- ments were concerned with other mat- ters and the idea of exploration of the upper St. Lawrence lay idle. I-Iowever, a turning point came when Samuel de Champlain, as part of a colonizing force, became fascin- ated with the thought of exploration of the river. I-Ie pieced together from the Indians the geography of the place - the waterfalls, the rapids, and, most fascinating of all, the Great Lakes. I'Ie became inflamed with a desire to see this country and discover for himself whether this waterway led to the Indies. Because Champlain lacked a spon- sor, it was several years before he re- turned to the St. Lawrence. Whien he did, he organized the colony of Quebec and set out on his famous journey in which he discovered the Great Lakes. Under the rule of the French, the St. Lawrence Valley prospered. The main influences were the Iesuit priests and the French fur-trappers. The priests converted the Indians to Christianity while the fur-trappers settled the area. But conflict between the French and English on the coast was inevitable. The river became English and still la- ter the boundary between Canada and

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the United States. For years the St. Lawrence remained an undeveloped waterway, limited by its lack of depth. Men of foresight were aware of the promise it held, but nothing was done. lt would not be until more than four centuries after Cartier first viewed its broad expanse that the St. Lawrence fulfilled its dream by opening an entire continent to the shipping of the world. Soon ships, flying the flag of every nation, will visit the ports of the St. Lawrence. So that we may truly under- stand the magnitude of the St. Law- rence Seaway we will take a voyage down the channels, through the locks and lakes. ln this way we may realize what a tremendous task the construc- tion has been. From the Atlantic Ocean we enter the wide mouth of the St. Lawrence River. We proceed hundreds of miles, passing the beautiful city of Quebec L ng Sault Dam. Power Authority State of New York perched high atop the banks of the river. We travel still further up-stream past the metropolis of Montreal. lt is now that we enter the Seaway. The Seaway itself is l59 miles long and is divided into two main sections, the Canadian and the International. The first section, being entirely in Can- adian waters, has been built solely by the Dominion government, while the International section is so named be- cause it was a joint effort by the United States and Canada. After sailing beyond Montreal we encounter the first of the locks. This is the St. Lambert Lock which raises our vessel l5 feet. We now bypass the famed Lachine Rapids by means of a newly-constructed Navigation Canal. VV e are then raised 30 feet by the Cote St. Catherine Lock and now we steam into Lake St. Louis. From this large body of water we reach the Beaugar-